1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magazine carrying apparatus that carries a magazine from a magazine loader stage to a lead frame discharge position and then to a magazine unloader stage.
2. Prior Art
One example of a magazine carrying apparatus is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 5-166851.
This magazine carrying apparatus includes a loader stage that supplies magazines and an unloader stage that receives the magazines. The loader stage and the unloader stages are installed vertically, the unloader stage and the loader stage and the unloader stage being in a parallel positional relationship being directly above the loader stage. This carrying apparatus further includes a vertically movable elevator. The elevator receives the magazine, that contains lead frames therein, from the loader stage and is raised to a lead frame discharge position. When the lead frames are taken out of the magazine at this lead frame discharge position, the elevator moves the magazine to the unloader stage so that the magazine is transferred onto the unloader stage.
The elevator can also be used to move the magazine between the loader stage and the unloader stage so that lead frames are put into an empty magazine.
However, in the this prior art magazine carrying apparatus, the magazine is merely set in the elevator without being positionally secured. As a result, when the elevator jolts, the magazine is moved and displaced in the elevator. Such a displacement of the magazine would prevent a smooth discharge operation of the lead frames out of the magazine. In addition, if the magazine is merely placed in the elevator, a high speed operation of the elevator is not executed because the magazine might drop when the elevator moves fast.